This is not an original thought, it’s been voiced and echo’d throughout the industry since the race completed Saturday in Colorado but I do feel it was the most compelling story coming out of the weekend so I am choosing to work it out.
We all saw it, during the second 250 Moto, Adam Cianciarulo got crossed up and was shot skyward in an “A-Ray cattywampus style” toward the repeating banners heading into a corner. Physics dictated that he was going off track. There was no choice to be made. As Adam landed on the interior of the bannered corner, he realized the quickest and most assuredly successful re-entry would be a quick throttle blip to lift the front wheel over those same repeating banners, and voila, he was back on track. Safely rejoining the race without gaining– to the contrary, he even slowed to assure he had not gained and advantage and the gap to the leader supported that fact.
As Justin rounded the corner, he spotted AC in his re-entry action and had to take a double-take, to confirm he was really seeing what was happening correctly. Was Adam really cutting the corner mid race?! Justin was instantly rattled and in all honesty, as we sit here on a Tuesday, he’s still rattled. Justin was certain that Adam was going to be penalized and the shocking part is that even after seeing the footage of what actually occurred, he’s still sticking to this bewildered and offended position. It’s not a good look. I get that the Team needs to protest and see this thing through but for a racer sniffing so close to his first career win, it’s just kinda “meh”. Who wants to have their first ever professional victory be the result of a protest and 4hr delayed decision? Especially after seeing the way Adam’s predicament actually played out. It was clearly an error and a correct decision by Adam to rectify it as quickly as possible, just as the rules state a rider is required to do so.
Even after seeing the evidence, being notified of the decision and the case being essentially closed, in the ultra-delayed Press Conference, Justin continued to look flabbergasted and stick to his guns that it was wrong and he still believed the Star Yamaha team would win an appeal of the ruling.
Come on man, this is not the way to go about this thing. Obviously.
It started on the podium when Justin first noted that he was angry and expected to be named the winner. Fans were already calling him a crybaby which really wasn’t justified. At that point he only knew that Adam cut the track, not the specifics of it. He was rightfully pissed, especially after crashing and coughing up the lead and win. To stick to his guns in the Press conference though, that’s just such poor form. Everybody had to be essentially looking around the press tent at one another as he made his statements, looking at each other like, “is he being serious?”
Justin needs to just move on from this and focus on snatching that first overall after this break. He’s right on the cusp and he’s got the skills. Who knows, maybe this whole disgusted and incredulous demeanor he’s adopted during this episode is all a rouse to just help him get more pissed off and put him over the edge?
It wouldn’t be the first time in MX history that a racer fabricated a barrier to create a new level of motivation for themselves.
